We hope it’s as sunny where you are as it is here; it seems like a good day to kick back and just tinshuffle through this week’s news. Starting with what seemed like a curious item which flew over the transom yesterday.
Forrester to build CX cloud.
Wait — what? The analyst firm is about to enter the CX cloud stakes, battling Salesforce, Oracle, and Adobe? More specifically, the news was that Forrester had acquired FeebackNow, a solution which takes customers’ satisfaction “temperature” in real time, for example by inviting clicks on smiley buttons. With all respect, FeedbackNow is not an ExactTarget or a Responsys.
On closer inspection, was seems to be going on is an enhancement of Forrester’s capabilities to monitor success in creating positive CX (it also acquired Glimpzit, an AI engine specializing in analysis of unstructured data). Still, it would be interesting to see how a full-fledged Forrester CX cloud would perform in the Forrester Customer Feedback Management Wave.
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From Valassis, the media and marketing services company, comes new data on retail shoppers’ habits and preference, based on a survey of 1,200 consumers. Loyalty and comfort with vendors seem to be the big deals. 73% consistently return to retailers who reach out with messages throughout the year, and only 27% dabble with new retailers during key shopping periods. 73% too are looking out for personalized discounts and offers, and 76% demand that retailers safeguard their data and privacy. More evidence, if any was needed, that personal experience and brand affinity are increasingly important.
The disturbing statistic is that 62% of millennials often make purchases during work, which surely explains why nothing ever gets done any more.
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This just in from Clari (AI sales forecasting) and Marketo (“next gen” MA), who today announced a strategic partnership to integrate sales and marketing visibility across the funnel. The Clari Marketo Connector will allow sales reps to see prospects engaging with marketing content, and create a channel for marketing data to flow in to Clari’s AI-based Opportunity Score. It’s a move which reflects Marketo’s “one platform for engagement” commitment.
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And finally, a lot of people have been asking about the DMN 40Under40 Awards, 2018 edition. That’s where we honor over-achieving marketers on their way up the ladder. All I’m going to say is…watch this space. Announcements coming soon.
